For many decades I have been a Bruce Cockburn fan. While my take on the dynamics involved in being a faithful follower of Jesus aren’t always in sync with his, the elements of faith that permeate his music often inspire my spirit and even when I don’t fully agree with his analysis of the world, his perceptions force me to pause and reflect – and sometimes even adjust. (Yes, I can change!).
Over 35 years ago, one of his song titles resonated powerfully the first time I heard it. From the song’s content, I doubt if Bruce meant it as a comment on the Fall and its ongoing effects, but that was one of the implications I drew from it. The piece implies that there is a downward spiral and ‘evils’ barely imaginable today will become acceptable and common mere decades into the future. The theme of the song? ‘The trouble with normal, it always gets worse’.
For the moment, set aside the uncontested pessimism of the title and the numerous counter examples of good advancements. Just check many of the current norms embraced wholeheartedly by our culture that scant decades ago were unthinkable in society. And as you do, remember Orwell’s introduction of doublethink as a method for presenting darkness as light. Then ask, ‘Are we victims of brainwashing and propaganda or are we seeing truth more clearly than we used to?’
Recent upheavals in The PCC have frequently brought Cockburn’s theme to mind. The 2015 overtures seeking changes related to same gender matters used five letters LGBTQ, though most initial focus was around L and G. Now ‘I’ is usually added to the acronym (LGBTQI), though at times there have been other letters. And an initiative that seemed to be relatively straightforward in its intent, now has four pages of vocabulary definitions and descriptions in this year’s Book of Reports (pp.313-316). And ideas most of us never considered five years ago (e.g. ‘The Trans Umbrella’ and ‘heterosexism’) are full partners in the discussion. In addition, the original call for inclusion around marriage has expanded ‘These stories are at the heart of the mandate of Rainbow Communion and the call of The Presbyterian Church in Canada to repent of its homophobia, transphobia, heterosexism and hypocrisy’. More complicated doesn’t necessarily mean worse, but one wonders what other pieces may be coming?
As I noted earlier, I don’t embrace unreservedly all of Cockburn’s analyses, but I do believe he does proclaim an unpleasant truth. The forces of harm released by disobedience are relentless. Therefore, it is essential God’s people endeavour to maintain the standards God has established for faithful discipleship and not get trapped by what culture holds as currently acceptable. In the Fellowship we call that authentic Biblical thinking.